"Big brother, can we get out now?"
Although Fang Bai did not speak, Dongfang Ruhua could feel his joy, and so her mood also improved.
"Yes, we can get out now!"
Overcome with delight, Fang Bai couldn’t help but let out a long howl and accelerated forward.
The further forward they went, the louder the sound of the water became. A moment later, an underground river several meters wide lay before them.
The river wasn’t very deep, and some rocks even jutted out from the center, making loud "whooshing" noises as the rushing water struck them. With the echoes off the walls, the sound of the water would continuously reverberate in their ears.
Fang Bai checked the direction of the water flow and led Dongfang Ruhua down the riverbank in the direction of the river’s downstream current.
Although the riverbank was extremely slippery and littered with pebbles, making it difficult to navigate, Fang Bai moved as if he were flying, as though he were treading on flat ground.
They did not know how much time passed when suddenly the riverbank ahead declined steeply, and a loud rumbling noise reached them. Upon approaching, they discovered a magnificent underground waterfall.
Dongfang Ruhua couldn’t see the surroundings clearly; her face turned pale as she heard the roaring water, and she clung to Fang Bai even tighter.
Below the waterfall was a huge pool. Fang Bai saw that water was pouring into it incessantly, but the pool always stayed at the same level, indicating there must be another world beneath, possibly connected to some river outside.
"Ruhua, do you trust me?"
Fang Bai turned his head and asked Dongfang Ruhua using the Thread Condensation Sound Transmission method.
Despite the roar of the water, Dongfang Ruhua heard Fang Bai very clearly. Although she did not understand why he was asking this, she nodded vigorously.
"Good, listen, the terrain ahead is a bit complicated. I’ll go and scout ahead first, and then come back to lead you through. Will you stand here and not move until I return, okay?"
While speaking, Fang Bai placed his hands on Dongfang Ruhua’s shoulders with an encouraging tone, "I know you’re a brave, strong, and fearless girl! Right? Now say loudly to yourself: ’Ruhua, don’t be afraid!’"
Fang Bai knew Dongfang Ruhua was timid and would be scared being left alone, but to find the exit more smoothly, he had to explore the way first.
If Dongfang Ruhua had been a Martial Artist, Fang Bai might have taken her with him, but she was just a fragile, ordinary girl. Taking her along might only distract him should they encounter any danger.
When Dongfang Ruhua heard Fang Bai was going to leave her behind, she was so scared she almost cried. But Fang Bai’s last few words gave her some courage. She thought if she appeared very scared, Fang Bai might look down on her, and then he wouldn’t like her.
Fang Bai was Dongfang Ruhua’s ultimate idol, and the power of an idol is limitless.
In the darkness, Dongfang Ruhua puffed out her budding chest, and her bright eyes radiated a firm light.
"Ruhua...isn’t afraid..."
Although her voice trembled, Dongfang Ruhua still managed to say these four words.
To alleviate the fear in Dongfang Ruhua’s heart, he gently caressed her cute nose and said with a smile, "After we get out this time, I will give you a few more Luminous Pearls..."
As he spoke, he suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no, how could I forget the Luminous Pearls!"
In the darkness, a faint light streaked from the Spatial Ring, followed by two luminous pearls, each the size of a chicken egg, appearing in Fang Bai’s hands. Instantly, the area within a dozen yards brightened as if it were daylight.
The two luminous pearls were taken out of Fang Bai’s Spatial Ring. Just moments ago, when they encountered a mudslide, Fang Bai was so eager to find a way out that he forgot that the luminous pearls could be used for lighting.
Moreover, luminous pearls have a characteristic: the darker the place, the brighter the light they emit, making them perfect for illumination in this pitch-black and chilly cave.
"You hold onto these two luminous pearls for the time being. Once we get out, they’ll be yours!"
Fang Bai looked at Dongfang Ruhua’s delicate and beautiful small face illuminated by the glow of the luminous pearls and smiled as he stuffed the two pearls into her small hands.
Dongfang Ruhua was afraid of the dark, but now with the light, she could clearly see the surroundings, and her expression relaxed markedly.
The pearls also contained a trace of spiritual energy, so when she held them, it was as if bathing in a hot spring, driving away all the chill.
Perhaps it was Fang Bai’s smile that emboldened her, but Dongfang Ruhua suddenly mustered great courage and said, "Big brother, I’ll wait here for you. You must come back quickly, alright?"
Fang Bai gave Dongfang Ruhua a thumbs up, had her sit on a flat area of ground far from the waterfall’s cliff edge, left her with some food and drink, then took a deep look at her before turning and walking to the edge of the waterfall’s cliff, where he leaped down.
The waterfall’s cliff was nearly thirty meters above the water pool below, and jumping from this height into the water was extremely dangerous for an ordinary person, but for Fang Bai, it posed not a single problem.
Fang Bai jumped from the thirty-meter-high waterfall’s cliff, and when his figure entered the water, he caused only a small splash. Then his form dived into the depths of the water pool, vanishing in an instant.
Dongfang Ruhua, after all, was just a fifteen-year-old girl. Strong and brave before Fang Bai left, but once his figure disappeared, the courage she had just gathered suddenly vanished.
The icy coldness of the mountain walls around her, the roaring of the water in her ears, and the endless darkness in the distance made her feel an unprecedented loneliness, and once again fear crept up on her.
She clutched the luminous pearls tightly in her hand, huddled into a ball, and her large, clear eyes swept around restlessly, fearing that some terrifying thing might suddenly emerge.
"Ruhua isn’t afraid... Ruhua isn’t afraid... Ruhua isn’t afraid..."
Dongfang Ruhua murmured, self-encouraging, but tears were already forming in her eyes.
Dongfang Ruhua felt as though a very long time had passed and Fang Bai had still not returned. Tears had unintentionally filled her eyes, and she held them back from falling.
"Big brother said he would definitely come back! He won’t lie to me!"
Dongfang Ruhua kept repeating to herself in her heart.
A figure soared like an arrow from the water pool beneath the waterfall, abruptly shooting out and gently landing in front of Dongfang Ruhua.
Dongfang Ruhua, seeing the longed-for figure, rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then called out with overwhelming joy, dropped the two luminous pearls in her hand, and, like a little bird returning to its nest, dove into Fang Bai’s embrace.
In that moment, the tears in her eyes could no longer be controlled, falling down her cheeks in a relentless stream.
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